Are you interested to learn: does homeowners’ insurance cover roof leaks?
Whenever some damage occurs to your house, looking for ways to fix it is always nerve-wracking. More so with leaky roofs, which can be especially difficult to repair without the proper know-how.
But repair costs will be more of a problem for homeowners like you rather than the mere act of fixing it. Of which can be done with ease by a roofing contractor or repairman.
Whenever your roof leaks, it will create a mess inside your house and become costly to repair. A shingle roof replacement carries a hefty price of about twenty-five thousand dollars while replacing it with a metal roof costs about forty thousand.
A roof leak will not cost as much to repair and will depend on the cause. Although fixing it does not come cheaply. But the good news is it is probably covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy, as long as the cause is not particularly excluded from it.
However, if the leak is the result of a general lack of maintenance or from wear and tear, the repairs will come from your pocket and are not covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. But in most situations, it will offer protection.
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Does homeowners insurance cover roof leaks?
In most situations concerning roof leaks, your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover it if the cause of the leak comes from an Open Peril list.
A peril is a weather related event or situation like fire or windstorms that inflicts damage to your home. And insurance companies will compensate homeowners for the damage caused by a covered peril.
Complete list of open perils
- Smoke and fire that includes wildfires
- Windstorms and hailstorms
- Destruction caused by riots
- Volcanic eruption
- Explosions
- Falling objects
- Lightning
- Excessive weights resulting from ice, snow or sheet
- Vandalism
- Theft
- Accidental bursting, cracking, breaking of water pipes of other home systems
- Household amenities like heating or A/C systems freezes
- Damage from aircraft or vehicles
- Accidental destruction from water or steam discharge
- Accidental damage resulting from electrical surge
For instance, if a powerful cyclone dislodges a tree and crashes it through your roof, repairing it will be covered by the insurance. But if many years of harsh weather will make holes in your roofing that results in many leaks, you will pay for the damage.
Flooding is regarded as a peril but is often excluded from most homeowners insurance. Others perils might be excluded or subjected to a lower limit because of perceived risks related to your area.
Hazards not usually included in home insurance policies
There are many hazards typically not included in most homeowners’ insurance policies. But if you want coverage for either of them, you can include supplemental coverage as optional endorsement.
- Floods
- Mudslides, earthquakes, and landslides
- Destruction as the result from insect or animal infestation
- Damage caused by pets
- Wear and tear and lack of maintenance
- Warping, settling, or cracking of the foundation of your house
- Corrosion, rust, or smog
- Government activity or war
Mold and fungus are usually not included in most home insurance policies, and they can be covered if they are the result of a covered event. If a room in your home is naturally damp and mold grows in it, there would not be any coverage except when you have included a mold insurance endorsement.
But if the mold resulted from roof leaks from a covered peril, your home insurance will pay for the repair.
What are the different kinds of home insurance policies?
There are eight types of home insurance policies that the insurance industry provides to its holders. Five cover single-family households, while the remaining three provides coverage for rental properties, condominiums, and older homes.
As a homeowner looking to purchase insurance, it is essential to know the kinds of coverage necessary. It is crucial to have a clear understanding of the various distinct policies since some provide more expansive protection than the others and only one or two will be suitable for your own home.
You can file a damage claim for certain situations or events, as mentioned in the Open Peril list mentioned above.
Each type of home insurance policy covers several perils. Homeowners should know the types of perils their insurance policy covers. This way, they can distinguish which destructive event they can file a claim or not.
Each type of insurance policy starts with an HO acronym, which stands for Homeowner, then a designated number.
HO-1
It is the most basic type of home insurance policy. Its coverage only focuses on particular calamities, ten in total:
- Explosions
- Aircraft
- Lightning or fire
- Vehicles
- Strong windstorms and hailstorms
- Vandalism or malicious behavior
- Volcanic eruption
- Theft
- Rioting and civil disobedience
- Smoke
However, this policy does not provide coverage for destruction to your home as a result of earthquakes, flooding, and falling objects. And depending on your insurance provider, this policy might not include coverage for personal property and liability.
Coverage for personal liability can assist you in paying medical and legal bills if someone gets injured in your household.
Coverage for personal property can help you in replacing things like clothes, furniture, and electronic items.
Many homeowners do not choose an HO-1 insurance policy for their homes because it does not offer comprehensive protection. And evidently, many states in the USA have ceased using them.
HO-2
This type of home policy is the broadest that covers the same perils mentioned above in the first insurance policy, plus a few inclusions:
- Water or steam discharge by accident
- Accidental bursting, cracking, breaking of water pipes of other home systems
- Accidental damage resulting from electrical surge
- Excessive weights resulting from ice, snow or sheet
- Falling objects
- Household amenities like heating or A/C systems freezes
This policy does not provide coverage for flooding and earthquakes but includes personal liability and property coverage.
HO-3
This home insurance policy is regarded as the most popular because it offers comprehensive coverage. It includes all the perils mentioned in both policies above, along with other inclusions like:
- Coverage for personal properties
- Coverage for personal liabilities
- Medical payments to other affected parties
Many insurance providers that have these HO-3 policies also have coverage for loss of use.
After a covered peril damages your home and renders it unlivable, a loss of use coverage can assist you in paying for living expenses like rent, meals, and hotel payments.
If a houseguest has an accident inside your home premises, you can help provide medical payments for that person and pay the hospital bills.
If you are looking for the most suitable HO-3 policy, find one that covers all Open Perils and particularly look at the exclusions. For instance, a particular HO-3 policy might exclude damages caused by sink or sewage system clogging.
Many insurance providers that have this policy do not include earthquake and flooding damages. But most also provide separate flooding and earthquake insurance policies.
Some HO-3 policies also cover structures not attached to the home, like sheds and fences. And some also provide coverage for attached structures like garages, decks, and carports.
HO-4
This type of policy is often called Renters Insurance and specifically made for people who rent. It does not have structural coverage but includes:
- Coverage for personal properties
- Coverage for personal liabilities
Some types of HO-4 policies also have coverage for medical payments and loss of use. This policy usually has the same coverage of perils as HO-2 home policies.
HO-5
This kind of home policy offers coverage for open perils for any kind of disaster, except for the ones excluded in particular. Frequently, these kinds do not include flooding, water clogging, and earthquakes.
A typical HO-5 policy includes:
- Coverage for dwellings
- Coverage for other structures
- Coverage for loss of use
- Coverage for personal liabilities
- Coverage for personal properties
Before deciding to purchase this policy for your home, examine every exclusion and inquire the insurance agent provides exceptions in certain situations.
For instance, an insurance provider will pay for damage from a leaky roof but not by flooding.
A typical HO-5 policy is more costly than an HO-3 policy because it has a broader coverage for your home’s personal properties.
HO-6
This type of home policy is often called Condo Insurance, which provides the same coverage as an HO-2 policy, and includes:
- Coverage for dwellings
- Coverage for loss of use
- Coverage for personal liabilities
- Coverage for personal properties
Many insurance providers also include medical payments for their HO-6 policies. They provide only limited coverage for dwellings, thus limits the structural claims to one thousand dollars.
A typical HO-6 policy will only cover structural components within the interior of the walls, ceilings, and flooring in your home.
While condominium organizations often provide property insurance to protect common areas and exteriors, many condominium owners still have to get alternative coverage to heighten the protection for their HO-6 policies.
HO-7
This type of home insurance policy provides protection for manufactured and mobile homes and covers similar perils as HO-3 policies. But a typical HO-7 policy only includes:
- Coverage for dwellings
- Coverage for personal liabilities
Along with the mobile home coverage, An HO-7 policy also protects patios and decks and does not cover rental lots.
HO-8
This type of home insurance is made for older structures like historic houses or dwellings on the national register. It follows similar perils as an HO-1 policy.
A typical HO-8 policy includes:
- Coverage for dwellings
- Coverage for medical payments
- Coverage for personal liabilities
- Coverage for personal properties
These types do not cover damages from earthquakes, flooding, and falling objects.
When is leaky roofing not covered by home insurance?
As mentioned earlier, damages caused by roof leaks are not covered by your home insurance policy if the cause is not from the Open Peril list. It also includes wear and tear and lack of maintenance.
Most home insurance providers will decline a claim for a leaky roof from causes like birds, mold, pests, wrong code materials, wet rot, neglect, or construction errors.
Also, some home insurance policies will particularly not include coverage for a leaky roof. A typical HO-8 policy will not cover damages from leaky roofs since this type of insurance is utilized for older homes.
What are the steps you need to take if you have a leaky roof?
If you notice that your roof has sprung a leak, you need to act fast, so here are the things you need to do:
- Find the source of the leak. If the leak is too difficult to find, ask for the professional help from a roofer or contractor.
- Properly document the damage caused by the leak. Take expansive photos of that water damage throughout your house to be able to share them with your insurance provider upon filing a claim.
- Try to repair the leak temporarily. Use whatever you can find in your home to make the leak worse, like using buckets to catch the water drips, moving furniture away from the affected area, etc.
- Call your insurance provider and tell them about the leaky situation. They will tell you the procedure to file a claim.
What is the proper procedure to file a claim for a roof destroyed by a leak?
If your roof has sprung a leak as a result of a covered peril, what you should do next is to file an insurance claim. This way, you can have your roof fixed immediately and get reimbursed for the repair cost.
- Take extensive photos of the damage caused by the leak. Proper documentation is a must as proof that to back you up for filing an insurance claim.
- Estimate an amount for repairs. Get a contractor or roof repairman to evaluate the damage. If the damage caused by the leak is only minimal, the repair cost will be less than the insurance deductible, so it won’t be worth it to file a claim.
But the repair cost is higher than your insurance deductible, then you should carry on with the claims procedure. This way, you will be reimbursed by your insurance provider. - Filing a claim with your insurance provider. Call your insurance provider, and they will tell you the entire process. They will give you paperwork to fill up and give them the pictures and documentation of the damage.
After filing the claim, your insurance provider will review the leaky damage, make calculations based on the documentation and repair estimates. Then give you check from the repair costs, minus the deductibles.
Conclusion
A leaky roof is always a messy business, and fixing it would not be easy. Fortunately, if it is properly covered by comprehensive home insurance, you can get it fixed and won’t worry about the cost. This way, you can sleep soundly without much worry anymore.
